Buzzards Bay to add parking, signage at Mattapoisett reserve

Monday

Jun 24, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 24, 2013 at 6:13 AM

MATTAPOISETT — Since 2001, the Buzzards Bay Coalition has protected nearly 1,200 acres in the Mattapoisett River Valley from development. But with three revamped parking lots at the 250-acre Mattapoisett River Reserve, as well as new property identification signs, the coalition is seeking to increase public use.

SIMÓN RIOS

MATTAPOISETT — Since 2001, the Buzzards Bay Coalition has protected nearly 1,200 acres in the Mattapoisett River Valley from development. But with three revamped parking lots at the 250-acre Mattapoisett River Reserve, as well as new property identification signs, the coalition is seeking to increase public use.

"This is an area where we're working hard to both protect land, and restore wetland habitat," said Brendan Annett, vice president of watershed protection at the BBC. "But in addition to that, it's important that these areas be accessible for people in these communities — to enjoy and to use."

The Mattapoisett River Reserve sits off Acushnet Road on the town line, consisting of the old Tripp saw mill and the retired Decas Cranberry bogs, which the coalition plans to restore to wetlands.

Two signs are also being installed to identify the areas with the sawmill and the bogs. Annett said the coalition intends to erect informational signage in the future to explain the history of land use in the area.

The work is to be completed by early July.

Now with over three miles of trails, the reserve was acquired by the coalition through various land deals — part of its efforts to conserve the 280-mile Buzzards Bay watershed, at which the nonprofit has secured some 6,000 protected acres.

President Mark Rasmussen said the end goal is to preserve the clean water of the Mattapoisett River Valley.

"Put these two things together — the natural value of the river and the public health value of the drinking water supply — (and) it becomes very important," Rasmussen said.

Nearly $7 million has been spent — between federal and state grants, town contributions and private sources, which constitute the lion's share — to protect 1,166 acres in the Mattapoisett River Valley, with conservation areas in Rochester, Marion and Acushnet.

But the coalition reports that the work is far from complete, as 92 percent, or 14,007 acres, of critical land remains unprotected from development.

Poring over a massive map of the watershed, Annett explained the purpose of the conservation efforts, from maintaining the quality of the water used by four towns to providing recreational spaces to benefitting Buzzards Bay. He said the area is used for hunting, biking, hiking, bird-watching and fishing.

Danny Pinheiro of New Bedford, a 66-year-old retiree, was out fishing at Tinkham Pond, whose southern shoreline is part of the reserve. He said he spends 30 to 40 hours a week fishing there during summer months. Although he said he's been fishing at the pond for four years, he'd never heard of the Mattapoisett River Reserve.

"That's good," Pinheiro said of the conservation efforts. "I'd hate to see people build up houses over here and put up ('no trespassing' signs) and keep us from fishing."

The relative lack of development in the Mattapoisett River Valley makes it an ideal place for conservation.

The coalition's land protection efforts come back to reducing nitrogen contamination in the watershed, which Annett qualified as the biggest threat to the entire bay. He said the primary sources of nitrogen come from the landscape, so one tool is preventing further development.

"The communities have to grow, and will continue to grow, but can we identify areas around the most important water resources and associated forests and wetlands in the watershed, that if we protect them they will greatly benefit the bay by preventing future pollution," he said.

Annett said adding nitrogen into the bay is like covering the area with fertilizer. But the plants that spread as a result of the added nutrient aren't the desired species, like eel grass.

"All that eel grass growing on the bottom of the bay, kind of like a forest, is providing structure and habitat for all these other living things, particularly fish and shellfish," he said. "Scallops are absolutely connected to eel grass."

Instead, the nitrogen promotes algae, seaweed and phytoplankton that can leave the bay brown or green.

"The nitrogen gets in there, the phytoplankton and seaweed bloom, then that clouds out everything else," he said. "It prevents light from getting in."

Annett said these undesirable plants grow so fast that the eel grass isn't able to grow.

Asked what the long-term effects of nitrogen pollution will be, Annett said looking to the future is unnecessary.

"Since I was a kid, you go out, you don't see bay scallops like you used to. You don't see blue crabs like you used to. You don't see fish like you used to. You don't see eel grass — you see a lot of seaweed washed up on the beaches."

By boosting recreation in places like the Mattapoisett River Reserve — and underscoring the impact on drinking water — the coalition could generate support for its broader efforts.